03-05 Volkswagen Vw Passat Comfort Control Module on 2040-parts.com

BMW to offer four-cylinder diesels in North America to improve fuel efficiency

BMW will offer four-cylinder diesel engines in North America as it seeks to improve fuel efficiency and match the performance of its current six-cylinder gasoline engines. BMW is considering diesels in a range of models, including its 1 series, 3 series and 5 series sedans and possibly the X3 crossover and Z4 roadster, said Tom Baloga, vice president of engineering for BMW of North America. "You're going to see it in the 3 series, and the 5 series is a good possibility," Baloga said.

News watch August 2011: today's auto industry news

Come to CAR Magazine's news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Wednesday 31 August 2011• The two millionth Mini today rolled off the production line at Plant Oxford. British prime minister David Cameron drove the landmark car off the line (Mini)• Volkswagen says it will sell more than 2 million cars in China this year.

German car collector re-imagines Lancia Stratos

If German car collector and Lancia Stratos fan Michael Stoschek gets his way, there will be a new interpretation of the legendary Stratos rally car sooner rather than later. Speculation and spy photos have been circulating for a couple weeks, and now we have official photos. Italian design house Pininfarina did the prototype, which Stoschek originally had done for his personal use.